Anna Maria Werling1, Susanne Walitza2, Edna Grünblatt2, Renate Drechsler3. 1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: anna.werling@pukzh.ch. 2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. 3. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To investigate the consequences of COVID-19 lockdown on screen media use in children and adolescents with mental health problems, an online survey was conducted on leisure media use before, during and after the lockdown of spring 2020. METHOD: Parents of patients (10-18 yrs) referred to child and adolescent psychiatry participated in an anonymous online survey, approximately six weeks after the first easing of lockdown measures. Parents rated the amount, the content and the psychological impact of their children's media use before, during and after the lockdown. RESULTS: N = 477 parents completed the survey. Patients showed a significant increase in media time during the lockdown (including devices such as mobile, tablet/PC, video game console, TV, and activities such as gaming, social media) and a moderate increase in the negative impact of media use on everyday life. After the lockdown, total media time returned to pre-COVID-19 levels in most patients, but remained slightly higher in males. A worsening of the main psychopathological problem during lockdown was related to elevated media time in children (10-13 yrs), but not in adolescents (14-18 yrs). CONCLUSION: According to parents' retrospective ratings, the increase in screen media time was reversible, and seems to reflect an expected coping strategy during lockdown. However, male patients did not completely return to pre-COVID-19 gaming time, and a small number continued to display excessive gaming.
BACKGROUND: To investigate the consequences of COVID-19 lockdown on screen media use in children and adolescents with mental health problems, an online survey was conducted on leisure media use before, during and after the lockdown of spring 2020. METHOD: Parents of patients (10-18 yrs) referred to child and adolescent psychiatry participated in an anonymous online survey, approximately six weeks after the first easing of lockdown measures. Parents rated the amount, the content and the psychological impact of their children's media use before, during and after the lockdown. RESULTS: N = 477 parents completed the survey. Patients showed a significant increase in media time during the lockdown (including devices such as mobile, tablet/PC, video game console, TV, and activities such as gaming, social media) and a moderate increase in the negative impact of media use on everyday life. After the lockdown, total media time returned to pre-COVID-19 levels in most patients, but remained slightly higher in males. A worsening of the main psychopathological problem during lockdown was related to elevated media time in children (10-13 yrs), but not in adolescents (14-18 yrs). CONCLUSION: According to parents' retrospective ratings, the increase in screen media time was reversible, and seems to reflect an expected coping strategy during lockdown. However, male patients did not completely return to pre-COVID-19 gaming time, and a small number continued to display excessive gaming.
Authors: Ellen Haug; Silje Mæland; Stine Lehmann; Ragnhild Bjørknes; Lars Thore Fadnes; Gro Mjeldheim Sandal; Jens Christoffer Skogen Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2022-02-14
Authors: Anna Maria Werling; Susanne Walitza; Stephan Eliez; Renate Drechsler Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-10 Impact factor: 3.390